Performance pay for legislators

Governor Pawlenty, fully energized after eating walleye, is proposing performance pay for legislators. If legislators go into special session, they will get part of their annual salary of $31,140 docked. Color me unimpressed. The salary is so low, legislators aren't doing this for the money. This would mainly be symbolic instead of actually accomplishing anything, so of course Pawlenty supports it.

Instead, how about some real reform, like even-year budgeting? Electing bunches of new legislators and expecting them to come up with a $30 billion budget in six months isn't a recipe for success. Odd years = policy. Even years = money.